Problematic Social Media Use, Gaming on the Rise Among Teenagers: Study

A new study has reported a rise in problematic social media use (SMU) among teenagers, drawing attention to addiction-like behaviours and the prevalence of daily gaming. The proportion of young people classified as problematic social media users increased from 7 percent in 2018 to 11 percent in 2022. Data from the study, published by the European arm of the World Health Organisation (WHO), also recorded a rise in gaming habits among teenagers. Researchers analysed data from almost 280,000 young people aged 11, 13 and 15 across 44 countries and regions. Over 36 percent of teenagers said they were in continuous online contact with friends and others, almost all the time throughout the day....